U.S. inflation · 1944–2021
$100 in 1944 has the same buying power as
$1,540
in 2021
| Cumulative price change | 1439.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.61% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,540 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,440 |
| CPI in 1944 | 17.6 |
| CPI in 2021 | 270.97 |
| Inflation in 1944 | 1.73% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 4.70% |
| $100 in 1944 → 2021 | $1,540 |
| $100 in 2021 → 1944 | $6.50 |
Between 1944 and 2021, the Consumer Price Index went from 17.6 to 270.97. Cumulatively, prices increased 1439.6%, which works out to an average of 3.61% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1944 bought what $0.06 buys in 2021.
| Amount in 1944 | Value in 2021 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $15.40 |
| $5.00 | $76.98 |
| $10.00 | $154 |
| $20.00 | $308 |
| $50.00 | $770 |
| $100 | $1,540 |
| $500 | $7,698 |
| $1,000 | $15,396 |
| $5,000 | $76,980 |
| $10,000 | $153,960 |
| $100,000 | $1,539,602 |
| $1,000,000 | $15,396,023 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1944 spending costs in 2021, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1944 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.61% | $1,540 |
| Medical care | 5.08% | $4,528 |
| Food | 3.70% | $1,644 |
| Transportation | 3.53% | $1,451 |
| Apparel | 1.84% | $406 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1944: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $100 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $135 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $153 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $165 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $176 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $209 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $280 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $412 |
| 1984 | 103.9 | 4.3% | $590 |
| 1989 | 124 | 4.8% | $705 |
| 1994 | 148.2 | 2.6% | $842 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $947 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $1,073 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $1,219 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $1,345 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $1,453 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $1,540 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1944 to 2021: $100 is worth $1,540 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1944-to-2021/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1944 to 2021. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1944-to-2021/
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (series CUUR0000SA0; category indexes listed on the data sources page). See how these numbers are calculated.